Spark-plug.



0 0. WINESTOOK.

SPARK PLUG. APPLICATION TILED JULY 27, 1909. I

Patented May 23, 1911.

w IIIIMEEEEEEEI OTTO C. WINESTOCK, OF PERKINSVILLE, VERMONT.

SPARK-PLUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23,1911.

Application filed July 27, 1909. Serial No. 509,811.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OTTO C. Wmns'roox, a citizen of the United States,residing at Perkinsville, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont,have invented a new and useful Spark-Plug, (Case A,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in spark plugs, and itsobject is to provide a means for preventing an accumulation of soot atthe active end of the plug in a manner to cause a short circuiting ofthe sparking terminals.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a chamber inthe spark plug structure on the side of the sparking zone remote fromthe body of the spark plug through which chamber the gases within theexplosion chamber may freely circulate, and under certain circumstancespass with speed through the said chamber, thus thoroughly cleansing thesparking terminals from any soot or other deleterious material that mayhave found lodgment upon said sparking terminals and which either atonce or from further accumulation may short circuit said terminals.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichdrawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal axial section, with parts in elevation, oftheactive end of a spark plug with the invention applied thereto, theshowing of the drawing being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing a somewhat different arrangement of parts. Fig. 3 is aperspective view on an enlarged scale of an adjustable terminal used inconnection with the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of thestructure shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a threadedmember 1 designed to be introduced into a correspond ingly threaded holeleading to the explosion chamber, usually the explosion chamber of anexplosion engine, though of course the spark plug may be used for anyexplosion chamber of any character where it is desired to fire anexplosive-mixture by means of a spark produced by the passage of anelectric current between two separated electrodes.

In Fig.2 the threaded member 1 is designed to remain in the walls of theexplo sion chamber while the two terminals of the spark plug are carriedby another member, insertible in and removable from the threaded memberin a manner similar to the structure shown in my application for LettersPatent, Number 459,644, filed October 26, 1908.

Inthe structure shown in Fig. 1, the removable portion of the spark plugcomprises a sleeve 2, the exterior of which may be brought into gastight relation to the interior of the threaded member ,1, the partshaving their meeting surfaces groundl'lto fit so that there is no escapeof the gasesof combustion under the pressures generated in the explosionchamber. The interior of the sleeve 2 is formed with a tapering boreinto which there is fitted a tapering sleeve 3 of insulating material,either mica or some other suitable refractory material. This sleeve 3may be carried to the edge of the wide end of the sleeve 2, as shown inthe drawings, or may terminate back of such edge, as shown in theaforesaid application. Fitting the interior of the sleeve 3 is a taperstem 4 which, in the showing of Fig. 1, terminates back of the wider endof the sleeve 3 so that there is a space between the wide end of thestem 4 and the wide end of the sleeve 3. Extending axially from the wideend of the stem 4 is a threaded rod or stem 5, either made in one pieceof the stem 4 or separately therefrom and secured thereto.

The threaded rod or stem 5 carries a cup 6 comprising an annulus 7joined at diametrically opposite points to the legs of a yoke 8, thejunction member of which ex- ,tends diametrically with relation to theannulus 7 at one side thereof and in spaced relation there o. Thisstructure may be formed from-a cylindrical block bored in the directionof its axis to a suitable depth,

one end being open and the other closed, and then milling away at theopposite sides of the cylindrical walls until there are formed two likepassages 9 through the block at one side of the annulus.

Through the yoke 8 at the axial point of the cup 6 there is a threadedpassage so that the cup may be secured upon the threaded rod or stem 5with the edge of the annulus 7 remote from theyoke 8, in parallelrelation to the corresponding end of the sleeve 2, this end beingindicated by the reference numeral 10. A look nut 11 is applied to therod or stem 5 beyond the cup 6 to secure the same in any desiredadjusted position with relation to the end 10 of the stem 2.

The spark plug is so connected up in a suitable circuit that the end 10of the sleeve 1 constitutes one of the sparking terminals of the plugand the corresponding edge of the annulus 7, that is the edge remotefrom the yoke constitutes the other sparking terminal.

The annular sparking terminal 7 is broughtinto proper relation to theannular sparking terminal 10 and locked by the nut- 11 and'thcn when thecurrent is passed there is produced a ring shaped spark or series ofsparks which is found to be highly eilicient and certain in action. Itis found in practice to be necessary to provide or the adjustn'ient ofone terminal. toward or from. the other to allow i'or variations in theparts making up the spark plug so that the snarhi 5 terminals may bebrought into the most efiicient relation, and it found necessary afterthe spark plug has been put in use, this relation may be changed toallow for Vii "ying conditions which may arise.

l i ithin toe explosion chamber there occurs a movement of the gases ofcombustion at each. explosion and there is a. rush o'l on the intlow othe fresh charge.

There are therefore W1 hin the explosion chamb 2r violent and Frequentmmzcinents oi the whatever he thci r iracter, and any ti-uuilency of thedeposit soot upon the active portion the spark plug or any tendency ofaccumulations forming thereon is prevented by the swirl of gases throughhe sluice between the sparking terminals 7 and 1.0 and through thechamber on the side of the sparking terminals remote from the body ofthe plug because ol? the passages 9. l urtherinore, any soot or othermatters which may find lodgment upon. the spz'trliing terminals orinterior thereto is liilown oil" hy the violent movements of either thegases of combustion or the incoming cool gase constituting the charge. 7i

H is found in practice that commercial types of jump spark plugs usuallybecome so fouled by soot after a comparatively short period of use thatthey become inoperative and must be removed from the explosion clnunberor engine and cleansed, and even spark plugs of commercial typesespecially designed to avoid the dGPOSltlOI'l of soot thereon becomefouled in use.

A spark plug of su bstai'itially the constrnction shown in Fig. 1 hasbeen used for period of time and under conditions which would cause manycommercial forms of spark plugs to become inoperative from thedeposition of soot while those terms of the so-called anti-soot typebecome markedly fouled by the deposition of soot, but no evidence of thedeposition of. soot whatsoever was found upon the said spark plugconstrucled in substantial accordance with the showing of Fig. 1. Thisfreedom of soot deposition is bclierwl to be due to the free access ofthe gases at high speed through the space between the sparking terminalsand through the interior of the adjustable terminal by way of theopenings 5), thereby thoroughly clca sin g all parts l'rom any 800i.deposits which may take place and all particleswhich may find lodgincntupon those parts of the spark plug exposed to the action of the gases ofcombustion, It may fur thermore be stated that after the use referred tothe sparking terminals were found to be bright and the onlydiscoloration in evidence was found to he due to the action ol heat uponthe exposed metallic surfaces. insulation where exposed, was also foundto be clean.

In Fig. 2 the anti-soot "features of the structure of Fig. 1 areretained. but the arrangement of the central electrode and the manner ofinsulating the same son'iewhat different from that of Fig. 1. In thisstructure the central electrode is in the form ot a. rod 4;", and aboutthis rod there is molded a block 3 of refractory insulating nuiterialwhile the threaded member 1. :irn'nnid with a. taper bore into which theblock 3 lits tight. @l course the blecl; and may replace the insulatinsleeve and s n 4 of Fig. l and he scute in the sleeve 2 in the threadedmcn'ihcr 1.. ln the structure shown in. Fig. 2 the explosion comp lerend is prolcmgcd along the stem The of the block o l so that it extendsfor a C interior oil. the cup ('3, it being den this prolongation. shallhe sullic y the distance between the spark. g tern'iinal' but it shouldnot be r-eat enough to iui fore with the action of the chamber with thecup 6 or to prevent the flow oil through the annular spark gap.

lVhat is chimed is:

l. A spare: pl nals one of which is i lus '"i a carrying having us legsjoii metrically op osile annulus and yoke con.

ulus at dun O'l. the latter, said lilting a cup with oppositely disposedrmssug es thcretlnrrnlgli on the explosion chamber side oi. the annulus.

2. A spark plughaving an annular spark terminal, central conducting stemwith a threaded extension at the explosion chamlnir end, and an annularspark tcrn'iinal matcln ing the first named spark terminal and providedwith a. yoke spacml from one side thereof and having a passag :tor thethread ed end of the central stem, said yoke hai'ii its legs joined. tothe annulus at diametically opposite points of the atter.

3. A spark plug having an annular spark Ward and from the other, theadjustable ter-. terminal a central conducting stem with a minal beingformed with an interior chamthreaded extension at the explosion chamberher and having passages through its walls at end,an annular sparkterminal matching the -opposite sidcson the explosion chamber side 2first named spark terminal and provided of the spark gap to permit theflow of gases With a yoke spaced from one side, thereof through thechamber in the adjustable ter and having a threaded passage for theminal transverse to the longitudinal axis of threaded end of the centralstem, said yoke the plug.

having its legs joined to Vthe annulus at In testimony thatI claim theforegoing as 25 v 10 diametrically opposite points or" the latter, myown, I have-hereto afiixed my signature and a lock nut on said stem forlocking the in/the presence of two Witnesses.

second named annular spark terminal in adjusted positions. I TTWINESTOCK' 4. In a spark plug, two annular opposed Witnesses: v 1; sparkterminals, one being more remote from E. HUME TALBERT,

7 the body of the plug than and adjustable to- E. C. SCHLADT.

